This present invention is generally directed to chemical, biological, radiation, and/or nuclear protection (CBRN) material, and more particularly to a fabric, composite, material and/or article that is impervious to chemical and/or biological agent, and/or protects against electromagnetic radiation, and/or is breathable, and fabrication thereof.
Chemical and biological warfare agents (CBWA's) are destructive weapons that can terrorize, incapacitate, harm, or kill. CBWA's represent a real and growing threat to the military personnel, as well as civilians, livestock and other animals, and fauna and flora. In light of the continued threat of attacks by terrorists and other enemies, there is a growing need to protect both the military personnel and civilians, and other life from the release of chemical, biological and/or radiological agents (hereinafter referred to as “harmful agents”).
The proliferation of nuclear weapons also has increased the possibility of their availability to terrorist organizations. This poses a serious threat to both military and civilian populations. Radiation released from these weapons can have significant impact on human/living tissue and cells. The desire of most terrorist organizations is to leave a everlasting fear in the minds of people. Radioactive-dispersal-devices (RDD), or “dirty-bomb,” use conventional explosives to distribute radioactive particles. Dirty bombs can be prepared from a wide range of radioactive materials. High-energy radioactive isotopes, such as cobalt-60 and cesium-137, are of major concern because they emit penetrating gamma radiation. These radioactive elements can be acquired from various civilian locations that have minimal security, such as hospitals and dentist offices, and transported to nuclear plants that are in unfriendly or politically unstable countries.
An RDD attack could result in high casualties, if the explosion occurs in a battlefield, office building, indoor stadium, airport, train station, or another crowded or populated area. The emotional upheaval of the public and the economic loss this could create, would be significant because of the time involved to remediate the area following such an attack and to assure safety and normalcy.
The military, federal, state and local agencies are thus constantly working to strengthen plans for responding to the possibility of such a terrorist attack involving the use of nuclear agents. A priority must, therefore, be placed at protecting at least the military and civilian personnel from this deadly radiation so as to limit the effects of the radiation source and perform decontamination operations.